BANGKOK - THAILAND confirmed its first two deaths from H1N1 flu as the health ministry said a 42-year-old man died on Saturday following the death last week of a woman from Bangkok.

'Our first victim was a 40-year-old woman in Bangkok who died days ago in a private hospital. She also had heart disease,' deputy public health minister Manit Nopamornbodi told AFP.

The ministry later confirmed that an engineer from Chonburi province, 80km from the capital had died at 9am (0200 GMT, 10am Singapore time) on Saturday.

In a press conference health ministry officials said the woman's death on June 20 had only just been reported to them by the private hospital.

They said they were also closely monitoring the condition of a 57-year-old woman in Bangkok who has the virus.

Thailand reported its first case of H1N1 flu on May 12 and now has more than 1,000 confirmed cases. -- AFP